Tonyblack wrote:Does anyone think that Terry is parodying the British Royal family when Teppic does his tour of the embalmers/model makers/pyramid builders?

Definitely. I think that it also fits in with my earlier point about the book being about sticking with tradition beyond all reason. I remember the furore (back in the eighties or nineties I think) when Prince Charles broke with tradition and criticised archetecture for being too modern and prefering the old stuff. If I remember correctly the press, the public and parliament all became involved in the debate about Royal interference in matters that 'do not concern them'.

The difference between fiction and reality? Fiction has to make sense.

Doughnut Jimmy wrote:Science is not a religion, if you accept theories unquestioningly you are not being scientific, the point of science is that the knowledge it provides is constantly changing and all theories could be disproved.

Science is a method, no theories. Theories are one of the products of science. People often get theories and science confused, kind of like switching the cross and the god.

As a method, the scientific process is easily used as the basis of one's daily life.

I saw a book today about Cambridge undergraduates climbing the town and university buildings which reminded be of the young assasins. I reckon the assassins had it easy though these nutcases dragged old fashioned photographic equipment up with them

"when the gods made sheep they must've left their brains in their other coat"

It says Teppic and Ptraci kissed, so does that mean that Teppic decided to stay with Ptraci? All it seems to say is "Then they kissed in a fairly chaste fashion, insofar as camels are any judge. A decision was reached."

'You're lucky. I had Dios, and he was good. Koomi will be much better, you can learn a lot by not listening to what he has to say. You can go a long way with incompetent advisers. Besides, Chidder will help, I'm sure. He's full of ideas.'

She coloured. 'He advanced a few when we were on the ship.'

'There you are, then. I knew the two of you would get along like a house on fire.' Screams, flames, people running for safety .

'And you're going back to be an Assassin, are you?' she sneered.

'I don't think so. I've inhumed a pyramid, a pantheon and the entire old kingdom. It may be worth trying something else. By the way, you haven't been finding little green shoots springing up wherever you walk, have you?'

'No. What a stupid idea.'

Teppic relaxed. It really was all over, then. 'Don't let the grass grow under your feet, that's the important thing,' he said. 'And you haven't seen any seagulls around?'

'There's lots of them today, or didn't you notice?'

'Yes. That's good, I think.'

You Bastard watched them talk a little more, that peculiar trailing-off, desultory kind of conversation that two people of opposite sexes engage in when they have something else on their minds. It was much easier with camels, when the female merely had to check the male's methodology.

Then they kissed in a fairly chaste fashion, insofar as camels are any judge. A decision was reached.

You Bastard lost interest at this point, and decided to eat his lunch again.

It ends here and doesn't say if he leaves again. After that it just talks about Dios.

No, I think it's fairly clear that he intends to go. We don't know what he's going to do - neither does he, but it seems that now he has a sister, he'll be back to visit her.

He's basically breaking the cycle of what has gone before. Putting someone in charge who isn't a living god, letting her be advised by people who will let her do things her way. He's handed the responsibility to someone else.

“Men never commit evil so fully and joyfully as when they do it for religious convictions.” – Blaise Pascal

I loved the opening scene in "Pyramids" so much that I used it for inspiration in writing some music. I tried to include some wall climbing, running along rooftops, and missing the plank that someone removed.